In my last post, Manolo Quezon mentioned that “Everything is political, and it all begins with sex.”. I don’t claim to be an eloquent writer as the great Manolo but due to the recent issues on BoyBastos.Com allegedly owned by [tag]Mark Verzo[/tag], I feel I need to say a statement or two.
Sorry folks, but pornography is here to stay. You can write about porn, watch porn daily or host a porn site…but there are two things one needs to learn from the perils of [tag]pornography[/tag].
- Educate your kids on the dangers of the Internet.
- Educate parents (most important!).
- Educate lawmakers, law enforcers and their staff.
- Teach lawmakers and law enforcers how to handle the Internet as a medium.
Like I wrote in my earlier entry on Lauren, a young internet user in 1996, I made it my business to explore the online world a family affair. We educated ourselves on the wonders and dangers of the internet. Now if you don’t believe that, it’s your problem not mine.
2. Watch out for that part of Republic Act 9208, The Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act of 2003, which punishes ““advertisements” or ““propaganda” in the internet as acts that promote trafficking in persons:
““SEC. 5. Acts that Promote Trafficking in Persons. – The following acts which promote or facilitate trafficking in persons, shall be unlawful:
(a)xxx;
(b) xxx;
(c) To advertise, publish, print, broadcast or distribute, or cause the advertisement, publication, printing, broadcasting or distribution by any means, including the use of information technology and the internet, or any brochure, flyer, or any propaganda material that promotes trafficking in persons;”
Source: The Legal Perils of Boy Bastos.
If indeed there were links to “escort services” coming from the [tag]Boy Bastos[/tag] portal, then there might have been indirect human trafficking? Google cache, anyone? or Wayback Machine might help? I wonder what Mark has to say about this forum topic on /People/Pidopilya/15 yrs old HS Classmates. But let us leave that job for the NBI Computer Forensics to investigate further.
Everything then gets political from there.
1. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has yet to formally charge Mark Verzo of violation of the law, if any.
2. Bloggers are now confused if Mark Verzo was arrested or invited. or was it mainstream media that confused us with the semantics?
If Mark was arrested, how could he be released so soon?. Did he see the inside of a courtroom? Did he go behind bars? Was he formally arraigned or made to post bail? An Invitation may seem like an arrest to ordinary citizens like us but technically, I believe he was not arrested.
Only Mark Verzo can say if (he felt) he was arrested, harassed or not.
And so it all started with sex, err rather the alleged porn portal. Haven’t bloggers have had enough of politics lately?
Other readings:
Legarda wants “Boy Bastos” shut down
10 Ways to Avoid the Boy Bastos Treatment
Freedom of Expression and Boybastos.com
The Legal Perils of Boy Bastos
